HEKSS showcases innovative work with partners

On 4 October 2013, Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex and its partners showcased innovative work to Health Education England (HEE) Chief Executive Professor Ian Cumming and Non-Executive Director Kate Nealon.

The day was introduced by Matthew Kershaw, Chief Executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) and over 20 people were involved in talking about the benefits of training and education in improving the patient experience.

Professor Abdol Tavabie (GP Dean and Deputy Dean Director, HE KSS), Maggie Davis (Head of Primary Care Strategic Development of Brighton and Hove CCG) and Dr Nathan K Nathan (Clinical Chair of Medway Commissioning Group) spoke of HE KSS’s Primary Care Development Strategy, focussing on the Community Education Providers Network (CEPN). CEPN is a federated system of community providers, which offer students, trainees, staff and the public innovative multi-professional educational models formed within primary care and community settings. Developing CEPNs is key to improving the capacity and capability of primary care in relation to the provision of education and training and by training in local communities it will support improving patient outcomes and experiences.

Louise Goswami (Head of Library Knowledge Services Development, HE KSS) and Ben Skinner (Head of Library and Knowledge Services, BSUH NHS Trust) highlighted the role of Library Services in providing a consistent high quality of service across KSS. They explained their “Clinical Librarian Model,” where specialised librarians are embedded in specific clinical teams. By working week in and week out with these teams, these librarians understand the context for what is needed to find information for doctors in all things regarding clinical uncertainty.

After a quick lunch, Dr Lindsay Hadley (Head of Clinical Leadership) and Amanda Grindall (Director of Leadership) from HE KSS introduced the background behind presentations made by students and trainees participating in the Leadership Pairing Initiative. The Initiative brings together a Graduate Management Scheme Trainee and an F2 Doctor at similar stages in their careers, to manage a project of their choice over six to nine months. The projects presented included shortening start times of elective caesareans at Medway Foundation Trust; cutting energy costs at Eastbourne Hospital;  and at East Kent Hospitals University reducing significant delays in senior decision-making on behalf of patients and improving Inpatient Multidisciplinary Records.

A particular highlight of the day was a presentation about A-TEAMS - Advanced Team working in Emergency and Acute Medical Situations - and its purpose is to improve safety patient safety through educating multi-disciplinary teams in non-technical skills, such as integration and sharing of knowledge, open communication and crew resource management.

Dr Rob Galloway and Dr Simon Finn, Emergency and Anaesthetics Consultants at BSUH described how their training programme focussing on ‘Human Factors’ (such as environmental, organisational, job factors and individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work) had made a direct positive impact on the outcomes of the multi-disciplinary teams.

Professor Ian Cumming was particularly impressed and suggested putting the team in touch with a group led by David Haslam, Chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is studying the impact of human factors in the quality of care.

Commenting on the day Professor Ian Cumming said:

It’s really important to us that we understand what’s going on, not only to put into practice for the national organisation but to also see what we can do to support you in taking initiatives forward. What we’re seeing here is that fantastic work is being done and I look forward to hearing more about the work you’ve shown us today.